A New Old Life
by Tweetyiscool
Summary: The story of a pureblood brother and sister put up for adoption, their life with their adoptive family, and the problems and adventures that ensue.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Here I am, writing a fic…again. Here's hoping this one goes better than the others are going (or were going, as they've all been put on hiatus).

Anyways, this story was inspired by Second Life, and a Harry Potter area in it that I'm a member of. They held a ball a while back, and I invited a non member friend, and, because it's a role play area, we had to create a character for him. It was decided he would be my brother, and I had such a good time with him that night, that it inspired me to write a story based on my character and his. Only the names have been changed, and that's for obvious reasons.

So, hope you enjoy this. Let me know what you think in a review!

**A New Old Life: Chapter 1**

Tears streamed down the woman's face as her husband looked upon their son, a great darkness and disappointment in his eyes. The son cowered before his father's gaze, unsure of what he'd done wrong; wondering what had upset his parents so.

A baby's cry rang out, and the woman gasped, her tears ceasing immediately and her expression turning to one of horror as she turned her gaze to her husband. "What if she…"

The husband spun around. "We won't take that chance!" His tone was sharp, though no sharper than usual. "Prepare her for the journey."

"But just because he is…" The woman tried again, only to be cut off by her husband once more.

"I said prepare her." The husband's voice grew louder. "We cannot take the chance, not in our situation."

Tears began to flow freely again, though the woman said nothing as she left the room, heading towards the sound of the crying child.

"Hush, my little one." The woman cooed as she picked up the baby girl. "It'll be all right."

The little girl's tears turned into happy gurgles at the sight of her mother, and in the silence the woman could hear her husband shouting at their son to ready himself for a trip. The woman cuddled the baby closer to her chest for a moment, very much afraid of what her husband would do. As she heard her husband approaching, however, she wrapped the tiny child in an extra warm blanket and lay her down in the car seat. The woman quickly leaned over and kissed her daughter's forehead, whispering her goodbyes, as the little girl drifted back to the sleep she'd been so rudely awoken from. She straightened as her husband entered the room, attempting to make herself appear as emotionless as possible.

As her husband roughly grabbed the carrying handle of the car seat, however, the woman couldn't restrain herself.

"Be careful!" She whispered almost angrily. "She just fell asleep again."

The woman's husband raised an eyebrow at her.

"I… I just mean… You probably don't want to wake her. A screaming child will draw attention." The woman stuttered defensively.

The husband said nothing as he spun around again, carrying the baby girl from the room.

The woman watched as her husband met up with their son in the living room, roughly took his hand, and left the house. She fled to the window to watch as he loaded their children into the back of the car, secretly hoping he'd put the car seat in correctly and make sure their son was buckled in place. She loved her children – both of them – regardless of the events that had caused her husband to do this, and she hated to see them leaving as they were.

The husband took off, ignoring his son's questions and protests about where they were going and not being able to say goodbye to his mother, and simply kept driving. He knew exactly where he was going, and knew there were faster, more suitable ways to get there, but he didn't wish to draw attention to himself.

When he finally stopped the car a great many hours later, he carried both children, for his son had fallen asleep during the ride, from the car, and left them on the doorstep of a large building. He wrapped a blanket around his son, despite it being nearly dawn on a midsummer day, then left, getting back into his car and driving away. He looked back only once, to see the figures of his children lying under the sign on the door that read: 'Madame Malefsky's Magical Mansion.'

XXX

Five years later, a woman and her husband sat in front of Madame Malefsky, discussing an adoption.

"So you're interested in little Maya, are you?" Madame Malefsky asked with a smile.

"We think she's perfect." The woman in front of her replied, smiling at her husband.

"That's something I always love to hear." Madame Malefsky said. "There is, however, one issue with the adoption."

"Yes?" The husband asked.

"When Maya arrived here, five years ago, her brother was with her. Her brother has always been very protective of her, always looking out for her; he's very close to her. The two of them are so close that they insist, or, her brother insists, that they should not be adopted out separately. We wish to do everything in our power to fulfill their wish." Madame Malefsky explained.

"How old is he?" The wife asked. "Maya's brother, I mean."

"Nearly eleven."

The wife looked at her husband almost pleadingly.

"Ariana, I thought we agreed on only one child. At least for now." Her husband could tell exactly what his wife was thinking.

"But we also agreed that Maya is perfect for us!" Ariana begged. "Would her brother be such a hassle? If he's so attached to his sister, he'd surely be more than willing to help care for her, and if he's nearly eleven, then he ought to be headed to Hogwarts shortly anyway…"

Ariana's husband considered this for a few moments before glancing at his wife's pleading expression once more. "Well, why don't we meet him first?" He sighed. "At least see if the three of us would get along all right." He turned his attention back to Madame Malefsky.

Madame Malefsky nodded, then rose from her seat. "I'll bring him in."

"I'm only even considering this because you know I'd rather have a son than a daughter, even if the child is adopted." Ariana's husband spoke sharply to his wife as soon as Madame Malefsky had left the room.

"Then why did you say yes to Maya?" Ariana challenged.

"Because all the boys are too old to be properly trained, and a girl is better than no child at all." Her husband replied. "We've been through this, Ariana."

As he finished his sentence, Madame Malefsky returned, a small boy with her. "Stephen, this is Mr. and Mrs. Evener, the kind people I told you about." She introduced.

"Hello." The small boy greeted them politely. He appeared to be a little shy, and perhaps even a little nervous around the people in front of him.

"I'll leave the three of you alone for a few moments." Madame Malefsky smiled and left the room again.

Stephen glanced at the door, appeared even more nervous now that Madame Malefsky was gone.

"There's no need to be frightened, we won't hurt you." Ariana said. Her voice was soft and soothing, her maternal instinct coming into play. She was unable to have children of her own, but always acted this way towards them – it was one of the things that had inspired the decision to adopt a child.

"I'm sorry." Stephen hung his head a little.

"There's no need, dear. We've been told of how much you care for your sister." Ariana smiled. "That's why you're here, actually."

Stephen's head shot up, as he looked at them very suddenly. "You're going to take us both?"

"We're considering it." Ariana's husband spoke up. "We had to make sure you'd be ok too, though."

Stephen could do nothing but smile for a moment. Quite a few people had expressed interest in either him or his sister, but nobody had been willing to take them both. He'd begun to fear that perhaps they'd be split up after all, simply for the sake of getting them out of the orphanage.

When Stephen spoke again, he changed the subject. "So, are you part of the pure blooded Eveners?"

Ariana's husband looked a little taken aback. "He certainly is well schooled if he's heard of the pure blooded side of the family." He said to his wife before turning his attention back to Stephen. "We are. Why do you ask?"

Stephen shrugged. "Just curious. It would be nice to have a pure blooded family, though we don't get many looking to adopt. Our real parents were pure bloods. Well, not one hundred percent pure, but very close. Or, I think that's how it went, anyway."

"And they gave you up?" Ariana's husband looked even more taken aback. He suddenly began to wonder why these children were up for adoption. There was somewhat of an agreement in the pure blooded world that children were kept unless there was an extreme circumstance. If this boy and his sister had been put up for adoption by a pure blooded family, something had to have happened – something terrible.

"I was only five when it happened, but my father went on a bit of a mad rampage. He brought my mother to tears, making her get my sister ready, then drove us all the way out here. That's all I remember." Stephen explained.

Ariana's husband looked Stephen up and down for a moment, then looked at Ariana, his expression saying everything.

Before Ariana could speak, however, Madame Malefsky re entered the room.

"Have you had enough time?" She asked.

"I think so. But could we have a few moments to discuss it?" Ariana's husband asked.

"Of course." Madame Malefsky led Stephen from the room, leaving the couple alone to speak.

"He looks perfectly normal to me." Ariana said, reading her husband's thoughts from his expression. "And so does she."

"But, if they're purebloods…" Her husband protested.

"Then they ought to fit in with us even better." Ariana replied. "The poor boy was five when he came here, there's a very good chance something happened, something that didn't involve the children at all, that he didn't know about."

"I still have my doubts."

Ariana looked at her husband, her eyes pleading with him again. "Please, Quinton? You know how much I want a child, just as I know how much you want one. We have different reasons, perhaps, but… These two just seem so fitting! And I'll get my little girl and you can have your boy… You yourself said he was well schooled."

Quinton sighed. He had a bad feeling about it, though he knew his wife had very good points. "Very well. Though if there's a problem…"

"I know, I know, it'll be my fault and I'll have to deal with it. I'm willing to take that chance." Ariana replied.

"Madame Malefsky, I do believe we've come to a decision." Quinton called out. "We've decided we'd like to adopt both Stephen and Maya." He finished as Madame Malefsky came back into the room.

XXX

An hour and a half later, Quinton unlocked the door to his and Ariana's home. He held the door open and allowed the two children to pass by him and enter. "Welcome to your new home." His tone was softer than it usually was, and a smile found a way to his lips as he watched the children look around the house in awe. He turned to his wife. "I think we made a very good decision."

Ariana hid her smile – she knew Quinton would come around sooner or later.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Here's chapter 2. It's later than planned, but earlier than promised to one person :P

Hope you enjoy, and please review!

Michael – you owe me a chapter!

**A New Old Life: Chapter 2**

As sixteen year old Maya made her way downstairs for breakfast, she was met with a surprise.

"Morning, Maya."

Maya looked up, immediately knowing the voice but hardly believing it. But, sure enough, there was Stephen, sitting in the living room. She resisted the urge to squeal and run to Stephen's arms, her eyes resting on her father, who sat across from Stephen.

"Good morning, Stephen." She said calmly. "What brings you here?"

Stephen had moved out of the house when Maya left for Hogwarts. He just hadn't been able to stand the idea of spending time around Quinton and Ariana without his sister around. Maya was the only thing that mattered to him after Quinton and Ariana had discovered that he was a squib, and she was the only reason he stayed with them. When Maya left, so did Stephen.

"Your letter came today." Quinton said, holding up an already opened envelope.

Maya didn't have to ask to know what letter he spoke of – it was her Hogwarts letter. She nodded, wondering what that could have to do with her brother's visit.

"You require dress robes this year." Quinton got to his feet as Maya reached the bottom of the stairs, making his way towards her and giving her a very formal looking hug.

"Oh." Maya replied simply. She wasn't sure she fully understood yet. "Some sort of formal event this year?"

"And formal events usually require…" Quinton prompted.

"Dancing." Maya came to the realization. "And goodness knows I'm dreadful at it." She hung her head a little.

"And that is why your brother is here." Quinton said. "Most unfortunately I couldn't find anyone else who had the time to teach you."

"That's a shame." Maya replied robotically. She shot a quick glance to Stephen, who nodded in understanding – they both knew this was how she was expected to act in the presence of Quinton.

Quinton eyed his adoptive daughter for a moment, then snapped, "Well, what are you waiting for? Go have your breakfast and get changed. The sooner you learn the sooner he can leave."

Maya nodded, making her way to the dining room. "Yes, father."

XXX

About a half an hour later, Maya stood on a makeshift dance area that had been created in the backyard, wearing a dress that looked like a dressed down black ball gown and gloves, her hair tied back loosely, as Stephen demonstrated some steps.

"See? It's really not all that hard." Stephen smiled, taking his sister's hands and guiding her across the ground. "Once you get the general idea."

"It's difficult when you're a klutz like me." Maya replied. "I mean, I fall over in regular shoes, let alone in these heels."

"Why don't you take them off until you get the hang of it, then practice in them." Stephen suggested.

"Two steps ahead of you." Maya replied. She'd already kicked one of her shoes off and was in the process of kicking the other off, pushing them both off to the side.

"That's a first." Stephen grinned.

"Yeah, well, just don't go stepping on my toes." Maya replied.

"Hey, you're the one who can't dance." Stephen teased, earning a glare from Maya.

"Yes, but it would seem clumsiness runs in the family." Maya winced ever so slightly as Stephen playfully stepped on her toe, not putting enough pressure to injure her.

XXX

An hour later, Ariana came into the backyard, carrying a tray of drinks. "How's she doing?"

"Oh, she's doing fine." Stephen smiled, twirling Maya around a little. "Just takes a bit of practice."

Maya certainly did appear to be doing better – she had her heels back on and was twirling around the make shift dance floor like she'd been doing it all her life.

"A good teacher helps as well." Maya smiled – she knew she could be more relaxed around her mother.

Ariana chuckled as she placed the tray she was carrying down on the table. "Sometimes it's as though you never moved out, Stephen." She took a seat in one of the deck chairs.

"Nonsense." Stephen released Maya as they finished their dance. "If I still lived here, we'd be worse."

"Did father go out for a while then?" Maya asked.

"He did." Ariana nodded, giving Stephen a sympathetic smile. "I wouldn't be out here if he hadn't."

"Good, then I'm going inside to get changed. This dress is getting terribly uncomfortable." Maya took her shoes off again, then went into the house, leaving Stephen and Ariana to talk alone for a few moments.

"You know we miss you around here." Ariana said when Maya was gone.

"Perhaps you do, but _HE_ doesn't." Stephen frowned as he took a seat beside her.

"Maya does as well!" Ariana said quickly, and then paused for a second. "And he does too, he just doesn't show it."

"That's utter nonsense and we both know it." Stephen replied.

Ariana decided not to go any further on the subject. "Regardless, it's still nice to see you once in a while."

"Is Maya all right?" Stephen changed the subject very suddenly. "She seemed a little quiet today, not to mention a little stiff and formal, as though she were…"

"As though she were around her father?" Ariana correctly finished Stephen's sentence. She sighed. "Yes, she's been under a little more pressure than usual lately."

"What's he doing to her?" Stephen demanded to know. He wasn't a fan of how Quinton treated Maya normally, and the thought of Maya being under more pressure from their adoptive father made him cringe.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that. It's really not something you should hear from me." Ariana replied. She knew this would only make Stephen more suspicious, though really felt he should learn the answer to his question from someone else – preferably Maya herself.

"You can't tell who what?" Quinton had returned home and had made his way to the back patio. There was a young man at his side – one who was all too familiar to Stephen.

"Nothing." Ariana went silent, looking at the ground.

"Hello, Stephen. Home for a visit?" The young man behind Quinton asked, very obviously trying to be polite.

"Just finished teaching Maya to dance." Stephen replied, a great strain in his voice.

"Speaking of Maya, where is she?" Quinton asked, glancing around the back yard as though he expected her to jump out from behind a tree.

"Cordell!" Maya rounded the corner, coming back out onto the patio and looking quite surprised, though also a little uneasy.

The young man turned and smiled. "I think she's found us, Quinton." He approached Maya and put an arm around her shoulders, leading her towards the rest of the group.

"I trust you remember Cordell." Quinton looked at Stephen. "Maya's fiancé."

"Fiancé?" Stephen raised his eyebrows, looking at Maya suspiciously. "When did this happen?"

Maya found she couldn't look at her brother, no matter how hard she tried. As she opened her mouth to speak, however, Cordell cut her off.

"A little over a month ago." He beamed. "Though we're waiting until Maya is out of school to hold the wedding."

Maya forced herself to smile, knowing it was expected of her.

"We're quite pleased with the match." Quinton smiled. "As are Cordell's parents."

"I can imagine." Stephen replied stiffly. "Though I really should be leaving, so I won't intrude on your lives any longer." He got to his feet and made to leave.

"Maya, go see your brother to the door." Ariana suggested, knowing both Maya and Stephen wouldn't be at all opposed to the idea. "And be sure to thank him for taking the time to help you today."

Maya nodded and gave Cordell a quick peck on the cheek as he released her, then led Stephen into the house and to the front door.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Stephen asked when they were far enough out of hearing range.

Maya hung her head. "I didn't know how…"

"Are you happy with him?"

Maya shook her head, unable to speak her answer. It was as though she was afraid Quinton would overhear.

"Then why…" Stephen was cut off by the sound of Quinton's voice carrying through the house.

"Hurry back, Maya, we'd like to leave for dinner soon."

Maya winced. They'd only been gone a moment or two, but it was all ready too long for Quinton's liking.

Stephen sighed, the same thought on his mind. "We obviously can't talk here, but do you think you'll be back in time to meet me later?"

Maya nodded, knowing exactly what Stephen meant. "Yeah, that'll be fine. I still take walks in the evening, so they shouldn't suspect anything."

"Excellent. I'll see you then." Stephen smiled.

Maya quickly opened the door as she heard her father approaching. "Well, thanks again, Stephen. See you next time." She spoke a little louder than usual.

"Of course. Just remember not to step on anyone's toes." Stephen mouthed a goodbye as he left the house, just as Quinton approached.

"Is that annoyance gone at last?" Quinton asked as Maya closed the door.

"He is, father. I apologize for taking so long." Maya replied robotically.

"It is not a problem, Maya, I know how much of a bother he can be." Quinton replied, laying a hand on Maya's shoulder and gripping it tightly and leading her back to the back patio. "But we ought to leave for dinner now, if you'd still like to take your evening walk."

Maya nodded. "Though I've been out in the sun and dancing all day, an evening walk does sound refreshing."

"Then off to dinner we go." Quinton smiled down at his daughter, pausing on their way to the back patio. "And Maya?"

Maya looked up at him.

"Happy birthday."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Oy! It's taken me over a year to get this out, and when I was finally inspired to come back to it, I found I'd written half the chapter already! And, of course, then I just couldn't end it and ended up writing *2* chapters. So now I've split this chapter into 2, so chapter 4 won't be far behind!

Please review and let me know if you're reading this – I'd love to get some opinions :D

**A New Old Life: Chapter 3**

The dinner with her parents and Cordell had been very dull, in Maya's opinion, and the cool breeze on her face as she walked around the neighbourhood was quite refreshing. Of course the main topic at dinner had been the wedding, and Maya had struggled not to cringe. She knew what was expected of her, she always did, but she hated the idea of marrying Cordell more than she'd ever hated anything else before.

"Hello, stranger." A very familiar and comforting voice carried in the breeze, causing Maya to look up. She'd been so lost in thought, she hadn't noticed she'd reached the park… and the park bench where she always met up with her brother.

"Hi." Maya sat beside Stephen, still looking a little bothered.

"Everything ok?"

"Yeah, sorry. Just…" Maya paused. "Just thinking."

"About what?" Stephen tilted his head to the side as he looked at her – something he did very commonly when he asked Maya questions such as these.

"About Cordell. And the wedding." Maya began slowly. "And how father might react if I told him I really didn't like the idea. At all."

"So it's not something you're happy about, then?"

Maya shook her head. "Of course not. I would have thought you of all people would have known how I'd feel about such a thing."

"I thought I did. You just..." Stephen hesitated. "You looked so happy."

"Nonsense!" Maya turned her head sharply to face him. "I'm very well aware I can't even try to look happy about this. All I can do is look tolerant. I may not be able to see myself, but, trust me, I know."

"I didn't mean it like that." Stephen said defensively. "I'm well aware you'd be agreeing to this regardless, but the look on your face was different this time."

"I assure you, if there was anything different about my facial expression, it was an added hatred and most certainly nothing even the slightest bit close to happiness." Maya snapped.

"Maya, relax." Stephen said sharply, though not so sharply that he sounded overpowering.

"Sorry." Maya hung her head a little. "It's been a long day."

"I know." Stephen put his arm around Maya's shoulders. "But it's all over now."

Maya changed the subject. "So what's going on in your life right now?"

Stephen shrugged as best he could with his arm still draped over her shoulders. "Not a whole lot. I've moved again, into a bigger place."

"Goodness, that's a pretty big change. Are you still close to Hogsmeade?" One thing Maya loved about her brother was the fact that he'd always stayed close by her, though gave her space at the same time. When he'd moved out, he'd found a place only five minutes away from Diagon Alley, and had even taken odd jobs (which didn't require magic, of course) with the shopkeepers in the alley, simply to be close by. Once Maya had entered the age of Hogsmeade trips, he'd moved to Hogsmeade instead. It was quite the move for him, but she'd appreciated the gesture very much. While he was there, he wouldn't press for her to visit him, though instead would wait for her to request a visit, at which point she'd make her way to his house, instead of visiting the local shops with her schoolmates.

"Well, that's the one downfall." Stephen grimaced. "It's a great place, but it's not in Hogsmeade anymore. It's close, but not quite as convenient." He glanced at his sister worriedly, wondering how she would take this news.

Maya frowned, though kept her head. "Well, that's not so bad, I suppose." She looked up at him, meeting his gaze. "I mean, I'll miss your frequent visits and such, but I know how being in magical society makes you unhappy." She knew Hogsmeade was really the only magical village within the area, and if Stephen had moved, it likely meant he'd moved out of Magical society as well. It was a shame, but she knew it'd make him happier.

Stephen opened his mouth to protest, though Maya cut him off.

"Well, ok, perhaps unhappy isn't' the best word, but I think we both know you've always felt more at home when around muggles. And, quite honestly, you stick out less amongst them." Maya's frown turned into a smirk. "After all, you are my dear Squibby Stephen."

"You know I detest that name!" Stephen tried to say it with a straight face as he put on a show, mocking the voice of their father, though he could not, and ended up chuckling, and even full out laughing as Maya burst out laughing.

"You mimic Father very well. Have you been practicing?"

"One does not need to practice to mimic such a man." Stephen smiled. "But I will admit I have been a little, though only because it makes you smile."

Maya leaned over, resting her head on Stephen's chest. "Oh Stephen, what am I going to do without you?"

"Nobody said you'd have to." Stephen pointed out. "I merely said the new house wasn't as convenient for having you come visit."

"Well, that's true." Maya was quiet a moment, before asking, "So why did you move, anyway? Just felt like a change in scenery?"

"Actually," Stephen smiled. "I've been offered a job. One that suits me quite well, and I must say, it's an honour it's been offered to me."

"Well that's wonderful!" Maya sat up straight, grinning. "Certainly better than what you've been doing in the past, from the sound of it. Any chance you'll tell your darling little sister what it is?"

Stephen smirked mysteriously. "Not until you find out on your own. Or perhaps I'll tell you soon enough."

Maya pouted.

"Tell you what. If you haven't figured it out by the time your first Hogsmeade trip rolls around, I'll take the weekend off and arrange to meet you. Fair enough?"

Maya sighed. "Oh very well. Though I must admit, it's not really like you to be so secretive."

"One has to start sometime." Stephen pulled his arm back from around Maya's shoulders, massaging the feeling back into his fingers. "And now's as good a time as ever."

"Oh fine." Maya crossed her arms in frustration, looking away from her brother and out at the park instead. "Hmm, it appears to be getting dark."

Stephen followed her gaze, looking out at the sunset through the trees, and nodded. "You should probably go before Father sends all his friends out to look for you. I'm sure finding you sitting here with me wouldn't sit so well with him."

Maya sighed. "No, I suppose not. Though it really feels as though I just sat down." One thing she honestly hated about the whole situation between her brother and her father was the face that she never got to see her brother for as long as she'd like, for fear of never being able to see him again. It was bad enough she had to see him in secret, she'd hate to have even that stripped of her by way of an escort.

Stephen nodded. "You did, really. But I suppose that's the sort of luck we get on your birthday. The rest of the family comes first, you know."

Maya's fallen face perked up again. "You remembered!"

Stephen chuckled. "Of course I did! You think I'd forget my own sister's birthday when it was I who told our parents precisely when it was? I'd be a fool!"

Maya hugged her brother. "It still means a lot that you'd mention it."

"You clearly need to look in your closet more often." Stephen smirked. "Top shelf, far right, tucked away in the corner. Unless the silly owl got left and right mixed up again."

Maya stared at her brother. Sometimes he spoke so oddly she just couldn't' help it. But then again, his taming of his owl to the point that it could do tricks such as knowing left from right and how to open closet doors had resulted in them being able to send secret letters back and forth. It was the part of their relationship that would have seemed almost scandalous, were they not brother and sister. Actually, it would probably seem _more_ scandalous because they were sister and brother, but that was beside the point.

Her stare quickly turned into a smile, however, as she figured out what it was her brother had said. "Well, thank you in advance. I'm sure I'll love it."

Stephen laughed. "I won't be too insulted if you don't. At least about part of it."

"It's the thought that counts, right?" Maya rose from her seat, and Stephen followed suit seconds later. "Well, until next time, whenever that may be." She reached forward and hugged her brother tightly. She never really liked saying goodbye to him, never fully knowing when she'd see him again.

Stephen nodded. "Send a letter if it gets too bad, ok? You know I'll listen..."

"I will! And thank you again!" Maya forced herself to smile as she pulled away from Stephen, turning to walk away in such a manner that seemed many times rehearsed. She only glanced back once, to see Stephen walking in the other direction, looking equally as rehearsed.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Well, here's chapter 4. I actually wrote half of it when I finished chapter 3, but wanted to wait a while until I finished and posted 4.

Hope you enjoy, and please review to let me know what you think :)

**A New Old Life: Chapter 4**

"That was quite the walk – I was about ready to send out a search party!" Quinton was waiting by the door, looking anxious as Maya walked inside.

"Sorry." Maya frowned. "I guess I needed the air more than I thought."

Quinton nodded. "Cordell said to bid you a good night, and that he'd see about coming by to see you again tomorrow."

"How nice of him." Maya forced another smile to come to her face, fighting to make it look natural rather than stiff. It was an action she performed a great many times around her father, though sometimes, such as this one, it was much harder to pull off than others. She seemed to be successful, however, as Quinton continued,

"Your mother has a terrible headache and has gone to bed early. It's been a long day."

Maya nodded. "It certainly has. And eventful." She nearly left it at that, then remembered, "How was work, Father? I certainly hope you didn't have such a trying day." She'd been raised to ask this question out of courtesy, especially in these situations. It was the sort of question she'd have expected her father to suggest she ask, but instead it had been her mother who had instilled in her the question.

"It was well, nothing too out of the ordinary. If anything it was a little dull. Thank you for asking." He smiled gently at his daughter for a moment, before continuing. "You certainly have become a fine young woman, Maya. I hope you know how proud of you your mother and I are."

"Thank you, Father." Maya smiled again, though this time it felt a little more natural.

"You know, I still remember the day we brought the two of you home." Quinton smiled fondly at the memory – an act Maya wasn't sure she'd seen him do before. He was generally the sort of man who went about his business with a frown on his face, rarely smiling, and never at such a thing as a memory.

"You tripped over the hall mat, not three steps into the house, but your mother was there to catch you."

Maya chuckled. "I remember that. I wailed endlessly anyway, for fear I'd done something wrong."

"You've changed so much since then."

For a moment Maya was quite taken aback. This was very much a side of her father she was certain she'd never seen before. He wasn't really a harsh man, certainly, nor was he fully unfair, but he _was_ stern. So stern she'd grown to fear him, so much so that she'd taken to doing as he pleased simply for fear of angering him. As the first glimmer of hope that he was showing a softer side, however, he finished his sentiment.

"It's a good thing your brother left when he did – he was a bad influence on you."

Maya tried desperately to hide the frown that was threatening to bubble to the surface, and nodded instead. Luckily, her motions seemed to go unnoticed, as her father yawned.

"Well, I do believe I may follow your mother's example and retire early. I would advise you do the same, or at least find something quiet to do."

"Of course. I'm sure I can probably find some more wedding books to look through before I fall asleep." Maya replied. That wasn't what she'd planned to do, but she couldn't well admit the truth of her plans – she already knew her father would disapprove.

Quinton smiled. "That's my girl." He rose to his feet and embraced her lightly. "Sleep well."

"You as well, Father." Maya returned the embrace. "Pleasant dreams."

Maya followed her father up the stairs, where they parted ways, as Maya turned to go into her room, and Quinton continued along the hallway, headed to his own.

Once inside her room with the door firmly shut behind her, Maya changed into her pajamas, taking her time with it. She was anxious to examine her closet for her things from Stephen, though she didn't wish to be caught in the act by her father.

She puttered around her room for a while, then left to use the washroom and brush her teeth and such, listening for any sounds coming from her parents room for any signs they might still be awake.

When she'd finished her washroom activities, she was fairly certain she would not be disturbed, as she could even hear a faint snoring coming from her parent's room – someone had fallen asleep, and considering her mother rarely snored, it was likely her father. She was in luck.

She tiptoed back to her room and quietly shut the door, then made her way to her closet, pulling the doors open as quietly as she could.

It wasn't difficult to find what it was she was looking for, as a rather large and brightly wrapped parcel nearly fell out and hit her as soon as she had the doors open. Her heart raced as she saw it falling, almost as if in slow motion, though managed to catch it before it hit the floor and made any noise. She heaved a sigh of relief and made a mental note to remind Stephen not to send any large parcels with his owl, as that had been far too close a call for her liking.

She set the parcel down on her bed gently, then closed the closet doors again, before sitting on her bed. She examined the parcel for a moment, trying to guess what was inside, though couldn't come up with the foggiest idea. She gingerly began to pull the paper away, wrinkling her brow as a book became apparent.

It was… Well, she wasn't positive, though it looked an awful lot like a textbook. And it looked like a pricy one at that.

Out of curiosity, she left the package alone for a moment, going over to her dresser and picking up her school booklist to find that, sure enough, the book was listed on it for her Muggle Studies class. The only difference was, the edition she'd been given was a special edition, presumably with extra tidbits of information. She sat back down on her bed and smiled to herself, stroking the cover ever so lightly. She wasn't sure how Stephen had come to find out which classes she'd enrolled in this year, though she wasn't the least bit surprised at his choice. He'd always hoped she'd try to find out as much as she could about muggle society, and, even though he hadn't told her, she knew this was because he hoped one day she'd join him in the non magical world.

She grasped the cover, opening the book gingerly and her jaw nearly dropped as she looked at the page in front of her. Not only was the book a special edition, it was signed by the author with a personalized dedication:

'To Maya, The one whose name alone makes my good friend smile. Thank you for allowing me the use of your brother. –Evan Geiger '

Maya was completely and utterly befuddled. Stephen had never spoken of an Evan Geiger to her. Perhaps he was connected with his new job, though that seemed unlikely, as the dedication seemed to imply the past.

A noise at the window made Maya look up again, startling her from her thoughts. Sitting on the windowsill of the still open window was her brother's owl, a letter in its beak. Maya rose from her seat and made her way to the owl, exchanging the letter for a treat. The owl hooted softly in thanks, though did not immediately fly off.

As Maya unfolded the letter, she was sorely disappointed to find only three words written.

'I'll explain later.'

Sighing in frustration, she reached for her quill and scribbled a response:

'You had better. And I expect it to be good!'

She nearly left it with that, then thought better of her manners and added,

'But thank you – it's wonderful! I only wonder how I'm going to explain that one to Father.'

She folded the letter again and watched as the owl finished nibbling on its treat before holding it out to it. The owl hooted softly again, as though saying goodbye in the only way it knew, then took the letter in its beak and flew off.

Maya watched as the owl flew off into the darkness, before pulling herself away from the window. She sighed to herself as she curled up in her bed, new book in her lap, wondering when it would be she'd see, or even hear from her brother again. Sometimes there was just no knowing how long it would be, and if he was getting busy, that would only make things worse.

She pushed the thoughts from her head as she flipped through the book, already savoring the information within it, until she fell into a sound sleep. It had been a long day, and if Cordell was to visit again the next, she wasn't likely to have much of a break and would need her rest.


End file.
